Mexico turned on the style at their iconic Azteca Stadium on Tuesday, brushing Ecuador aside 2-0 to break their World Cup knockout curse dating back 40 years.
The round-of-32 match was delayed for an hour due to stormy weather and when it started the co-hosts flew out of the blocks, mounting wave after wave of attacks.
In a supercharged atmosphere, Julian Quinones gave Mexico a deserved lead midway through the first half with a thunderous strike and then turned provider for Raul Jimenez.
Ecuador desperately needed to wrest back the momentum after the break but struggled to shift through the gears, with the home side largely in control.
Mexico had not won a World Cup knockout game since 1986, when they last hosted the tournament.
